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Known officially as the Republic of Turkey, the country forms one of two borders between Europe and Asia, the other border being controlled entirely by Russia. This means it is a particularly prominent nation as the east may meet the west and subsequently the country sees an influx of culture and is said to be one of the most culturally-diverse places in the world.

The country is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Black Sea to the north and the Aegean Sea to the west, but it also shares borders with Bulgaria to the northwest, Greece to the west, Iraq and Syria to the southeast, Azerbaijan, Iran and Armenia to the east and Georgia to the northeast. Today it supports over 76 million inhabitants and is run by President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic.

Stone Age History

Life in Turkey has been dated as far back as 25,000 BC through footprints found in Kula and Karain Cave. As time progressed, many civilizations formed in the region including, but not limited to, Mersin, Hacilar, Cayonu, Gobekli Tepe, Nevali Cori and Catalhoyuk. Wall paintings dated to the 6th Milennium BC depicting animals and humans have been found that date to this era as well. During the late 4th Milennium BC, the Kura-Araxes, one of many cultures in the region, began to mass-produce bronze tools.

Bronze Age History

In the 24th Century BC, the Akkadian Empire under Sargon I took control of the region and despite having little interest in the country itself, they began exporting material for manufacturing, mainly Copper. However, they lost control when the Empire fell in 2150 BC to the Gutians. For a time the Old Assyrian Empire claimed the resources, especially the silver, but the Hittite Old Kingdom eventually emerged and conquered the region under Hattusili I in the 17th Century BC.

The Hittite Empire controlled the whole region and peaked during the 14th Century BC, it’s know by this time that the group used advanced trade routes and formed political alliances with neighbouring nations. However, Kizzuwatna, another nearby civilization, controlled the Syrian border and it wasn’t until many decades later in 1344 BC that they were taken over, allowing the Hittites to fully flourish.

However, the civilization was disintegrated upon the arrival of the Sea Peoples in 1180 BC, of whom there is little known information, giving them an enigmatic origin. The civilization split into several smaller states which lasted into the Iron Age.

Iron Age History

The remnants of the Hittites were eventually driven into submission as the Greeks entered into the country, over time multiple Greek city-states were established and fell apart, specifically around those of the Mycenaeans, the Ionians and the Phrygians. The latter established their capital, Gordium, and set up a large-scale network of roads. However, many of these installations featured existing Hittite culture and buildings and thus the Hittite architectural style persisted through Greek rule. The Phrygians were in the country until the 7th Century BC when the Heraclids came into power, eventually they too were replaced by the Lydians which ruled from 687 BC onwards.

However, a little over a hundred years later in 546 BC, the Lydian king Croesus was defeated in the Battle of Thymbra by the Persian king Cyrus II, also known as Cyrus the Great. However, despite the Persian dominance of the region and their burning of the capital city of Sardis, several remaining Ionian and Lydian cities refused to fall under Persian domination and these remaining cities sent for aid from Sparta, Greece. However, no aid was delivered and thus the cities’ inhabitants either submitted to or fled from the Persian forces.

The now-ruling Achaemenid Persian Empire under Cyrus began expanding and eventually found itself ruled by Darius the Great, under whose command the strap system of localized governments and governors was utilized. After Naxos revolted against the ruling Persians in 502 BC, the nearby Ionian Greek forces under Aristagoras, a Satrap governor turned military leader, retook the city of Ionia. However, the Persian Empire snapped back and without mercy retook the city, putting an end to the revolt in 494 BC. However, this inspired other nearby cities to rebel against the Persian powers in time also.

In 334 BC Alexander the Great of Macedon landed with his forces on the shores near Sestos on the Gallipoli and engaged the Persian army in battle. He quickly defeated them in the first of many battles and used his victory to spread across the shore and liberate Lydia and Ionia, before moving further inland to take Phrygia, Cappadocia, and Cilicia. He engaged the Persian forces in the plains of Issus and thoroughly defeated them, driving King Darius and the rest of the Persian remnants out of the country for good.

Passing away eleven years later in 323 BC, the lack of a successor lead to a power vacuum which in turn saw the country and the Macedonian Empire’s territories divided between Ptolemy, Lysimachus, Seleucus and Mithridates I. Despite having peaceful beginnings, a rift between Seleucus and Lysimachus formed and culminated in warring in 281 BC, of which the former was the victor. However, Seleucus was assassinated by Ptolemy Keraunos a short while later.

He was succeeded by Antiochus I whom managed to fend off the Gauls but failed ultimately to subdue King Eumenes I of Pergamon which in turn allowed for Pergamon to claim independence. He was succeeded by Antiochus II but this was short lived as he was poisoned by his wife, she subsequently poisoned his second wife and the daughter of Ptolemy III of Egypt. Antiochus II’s son, Seleucus II took rule following the mass poisoning but due to the death of his daughter, Ptolemy III invaded Persian’s Syrian territory, taking Antioch and Seleucia in 246 BC.

Granting this new territory to Mithridates II, King of Pontus, in 245 BC, as a wedding gift, it rapidly became apparently that the Seleucids’ grip on the Turkish region was weakening. Furthermore, the Satrap of Parthia, Andragoras, lead a revolt in the same year, leading to the loss of more Seleucid territory bordering Persia. Shortly afterwards, Parthia was invaded by the Parni peoples in 238 BC and Antiochus II’s failure to end both the rebellion and the invasion lead to the creation of the Parthian Empire and the split of Parthia from Seleucid territory completely.

Meanwhile, Pergamon had rapidly taken independence from the Seleucids and increased their empire even more quickly until Seleucus III managed to take control of the empire back again, however, he had still lost much of his territory, especially that surrounding Pergamon. Rome appeared seemingly out of nowhere and began to interfere in Turkey’s affairs, as a means to take the favour of Pergamon and use an allied military force to defeat the allied forces of the Macedonian and Carthaginian Empires under Phillip V of Macedon and General Hannibal respectively. However, when Antiochus attempted to ally himself with Greece, the Romans decided this was intolerable and invaded the Turkish region in 189 BC, using political means as a way of controlling Pergamon’s rule.

However, when the Social War began in Italy in 90 BC, Mithridates VI of Pontus rebelled against the Roman Empire whilst the Romans were busy quelling a revolt in their own region. He took over the nearby region of Bithynia but withdrew when Rome demanded he do so. He managed to defeat Bithynia when they retaliated and eventually marched into Asia to convince the Greeks to attack the Romans. Rome finally retaliated itself and crushed Mithridates’ forces, leaving him only with Pontus in the Treaty of Dardanos. He attempted to revolt once more when Nicomedes IV of Bithynia passed away and Bithynia became a Roman Province, but the Romans once again crushed Mithridates and forced him to retreat. Mithridates’ repeated failures combined with rising political pressure drove him to commit suicide in 63 BC and Pontus became part of the Roman Empire as well, as well as Cilicia. The last Turkish provinces remaining were Galatia, Pisidia and Cappadocia, all ruled by Amyntas, but in 25 BC he died whilst pursuing enemies and Rome took the last provinces over, leaving the entirety of Turkey in Roman hands.

1st Century – 15th Century History

Following the turn of BC to AD, Christianity became increasingly prevalent among individuals in the region, and in St. Paul’s letters in the New Testament written between 54 and 56 AD, churches in Colossae, Troas, Magnesia and Tralleis, among others, were verified. Indeed, many already had bishops and official representatives in the government. In 112 AD the governor in Bithynia wrote to the Roman Emperor Trajan that many temples had become deserted due to the mass conversion to so many to Christianity.

For the next few hundred years, Rome lessened their grip on Turkey purposefully and the Roman Emperor Augustus actually removed all debts owed to the Roman Empire by the country’s provinces. This sudden removal of debts allowed the provinces to flourish and enjoy widespread peace and prosperity, for the first time in several hundred years the government softened taxes on the people due to a lesser burden from the Roman Empire on themselves, and made many significant advances in technology and knowledge during this time. Some of the most remarkable scientific men of the era were produced in the country including medical practitioner Galen from Pergamon, the historians Memnon of Heraclea & Cassius Dio of Nicaea as well as the philosopher Dio of Bithynia.

However, this was not to last, as in 256 AD, the Goths, driven by the Roman’s successful defence of Italy, Germany and Macedonia, entered Turkish territory through the Black Sea, landing in Trebizond. The Goths sacked the city and moved across the country, taking and sacking Prusa, Cius, Nicomedia, Apamea, Nice and Chalcedon. Only a combination of a violent turn in the weather and Valerian’s Roman Army could drive them out, but by then much of the country’s wealth had already been looted.

In 330 AD, Constantine ascended to the throne of the now-unstable Roman Empire, and upon this date he decided to both change the Roman Empire’s capital city from Rome to Byzantium, now known as Constantinople (modern day Instanbul), but also to change the state religion to Christianity in order to unite its peoples. He even went as far as to allow the bishops and religious figures to aid the government and he took part in the First Council of Nicaea. This marked the beginning of the Byzantine Empire. After his passing in 337 AD, his sons, Constantine II, Constans and Constantius II squabbled over control of the Empire, culminating in the murder of all three, one being in Turkey, and Constantine I’s nephew through his half-brother Julius Constantius, Julian, took control of the Empire.

Julian, however, did not survive for more than a year, and was succeeded by Jovian, then succeeded by Valentinian II, Valens and eventually Gratian. Gratian co-ruled alongside general Theodosius I from 379 AD onwards and together they were able to heal the religious rifts which had formed and reinstate Constantine’s policies and standards. In 395 AD, Theodosius, now called Theodosius the Great, passed away, but through his and Gratians rule the Eastern Empire now rivalled the Western Empire in strength. Indeed, when the Western Empire fractured and fell in the 5th Century, the Eastern Empire persisted still.

For the next few hundred years, the Byzantine Empire came under repeated attacks from multiple aggressors including the Sassanid Persians whom managed to siege Constantinople, the Arabs that managed to significantly diminish Byzantine territory and the Komnenian Dynasty’s crusades that severely weakened Byzantine Imperial power and unity. However, what finally toppled the Byzantine Empire were Turk states rapidly forming through an influx of European immigration across the country, squeezing the empire down to just Constantinople, and eventually, that too was taken in 1453 AD and the Byzantine Empire was ended.

16th Century – 19th Century History

At this point the newly-formed Ottoman Empire now controlled the Turk states, meaning that in effect the whole country was also under their control. Led by Memed II whom had conquered Constantinople, he allowed the Church to keep their land and affairs private provided they accept Ottoman rule, the Church agreed without hesitation due to the prior bad relations had with Byzantine rule looming over their heads. The Empire began to rapidly expand from here on out, setting up new trade routes and controlling existing ones through Europe and Asia, and in the early 16th Century, Sultan Selim I defeated Shah Ismail of the Safavid Persians and managed to establish control of Egypt as well as on the Red Sea. The Empire quickly obtained a new rivalry following these victories: the Portuguese Empire.

Selim was succeeded by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1520 AD, and he was able to take Belgrade in Serbia, as well as parts of the Kingdom of Hungary before conquering the rest of Hungary (except the western part) in 1526 AD. Suleiman attempted to take Vienna but ultimately failed to take the city after a long campaign lasting for three years between 1529 and 1532 AD. He also managed to acquire Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia in Romania, and went on to take Baghdad, Iraq, from the Persians in 1535 AD, effectively controlling the entire region nearby. He formed an alliance with France with mutual opposition against the Habsburgs, and jointly conquered Nice and Corsica with King Francis I, which at the time had been controlled by the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and King Henry VIII of England. The French also supported the Ottomans in capturing Esztergom, Hungary in 1543 AD and in 1547 AD the Habsburgs abandoned Hungary and gave rule there to the Ottomans.

In 1559, a war between the Ottomans and the Ajuran and Adal Sultanates weakened the latter enough for the former to absorb it. This essentially allowed the Ottomans to establish rule in Somalia and the Horn of Africa and begin making moves into the Indian Ocean, to compete further with the Portuguese whom had allied with the Ajurans. Suleiman was succeeded by his son, Selim II, in 1566 AD, and ruled until 1574 AD, when he in turn was succeeded by his son, Murad III. Murad ruled until 1595 AD when his son, Mehmed III, took rule and in turn was succeeded by his son, Ahmed I, in 1603 AD.

Following Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire entered a period of weak Sultans that misruled the government and misdirected their aims for around 120 years, this culminated in 1683 AD when the Ottomans were defeated at the Battle of Vienna by the Holy Roman Empire, ceasing the Ottoman Empire’s expansion through Europe. At the same time the Ottomans had been engaged in naval warring with the Portuguese, with the Ottomans attempting to hold a monopoly on trade routes through the Western European states and subsequent sea routes. Alongside the Ajuran Empire, the Ottoman Empire took independence from the Portuguese monopoly on the economy in the Indian Ocean by printing their own coinage. Finally, the Russian Tsardom had begun to expand and fight over borders with the Ottomans and other European nations, and, allied with the Crimean Khanate, the Ottomans and Crimeans burned Moscow in retaliation.

The Ottomans continued to attempt to invade various regions, but they met repeated defeats at the Knights of Malta in the 1565 Siege of Malta and again against the Catholic Coalition Forces of Phillip II of Spain during the Battle of Lepanto. However, they recovered quickly and persuaded Venice to sign a peace treaty in 1573, allowing the Ottomans to solidify their territories in Africa. Meanwhile, the border with the Habsburgs had found somewhat of a stalemate and as such the Ottoman military had altered their policy, letting down the strictness of the recruitment process somewhat. However, despite finding more troops, the military rapidly became disorganized and undisciplined, leading to several rebel insurgency attempts which were never fully resolved.

In 1612, Murad IV took the throne and managed to retake central authority, recapturing Yerevan in 1635 and Baghdad in 1939 from the Safavid Persians. He was succeeded by his brother, Ibrahim, whom ruled until 1648. After this point almost every Sultan became a puppet under what is called the Sultanate of Women, in which the Sultan’s wife, consort and/or harem controlled them and in turn, controlled the Ottoman Empire. However, in 1656, the Sultan began being controlled more by the Grand Viziers and this continued for many years.

The Ottoman Empire continued to take more territory nearby, including the retaking of Transylvania, Crete and South Ukraine. In 1683 however, this sequence of territory-grabbing came to an end when Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha attempted to siege Vienna once again until 1687, the final assault culminated in the Battle of Vienna when allied Habsburg, German and Polish forces mercilessly crushed the Ottoman forces and forced the surrendering of many Ottoman territories. A final attack from Mustafa II in 1695 attempted to retake Hungary from the Habsburgs but they were defeated disastrously two years later.

In 1709, King Charles XII of Sweden became an ally of the Ottoman Empire and together they declared war on Russia in 1710, claiming victory a year later and taking the region around the Pruth River. They engaged Austrian forces in 1716 in war too but lost two years later and surrendered their territories of the Banat, Serbia and Oltenia in Romania to Austria. A three-way war between Russian, Austria and the Ottoman Empire culminated in 1739, granting Serbia and Oltenia to the Ottomans, but taking the port of Azov from them as well.

For the next thirty years, the Ottoman Empire enjoyed peace and prosperity and a multitude of technological and educational reforms were set in place including the establishment of higher education institutions such as the Istanbul Technical University. Additionally, the printing press began being used to print documents and books. In 1768, Russian forces moved into Balta, Ukraine, which at the time was under Ottoman control, and burned it to the ground after massacring its people. The Ottoman Empire lashed out and began a war with Russia which lasted until 1774 and culminated in the Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca which granted religious freedom to Christians. However, this did not stop the fighting as the Ottomans continued to war with Russia until the end of the 18th Century.

Upon the rise of Selim III to the throne in 1789, he set about making efforts to modernize the empire’s military forces but he was held back by the Janissary Corps. Eventually the corps revolted and fought back violently against Selim III, killing him, but, his son, Mahmud II, took the throne and eliminated them in turn in 1826. At this point many European countries underwent a revolution and saw independence; these included many parts of Serbia and Romania mainly. For the next fifty years between 1839 and 1876, the Ottoman government reformed the country almost completely, forming a conscripted army, replacing religious law with secular law, guilds with factories, setting about reforming the banking system and decriminalizing homosexuality.

Another war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire kicked off in 1877 and ended a year later with a victory for Russia. The victory contributed to the independence claimed by Romania and Serbia and the establishment of Bulgaria as an Ottoman principality. At the same time, Austria and Hungary occupied the Ottoman provinces of Bosnia, Herzegovina and Novi Pazar (now a part of modern-day Serbia). In 1878, Britain restored Ottoman’s Balkan territories but in turn took over administration of Cyprus and moved into Egypt in 1882, effectively gaining control of both territories. The rapid decline of the Ottoman Empire saw a rise in a more nationalist view among the peoples which in turn pushed ethnic tensions up to an all-time high and often deteriorated into violence, the worst of which occurring in 1894-1896 when around 300,000 Armenians were massacred by nationalists.

20th Century History

On the side of the Central Powers in World War I, the Ottoman Empire was defeated with great casualty; during the war the Empire adopted a Fascist outlook and deported the country’s Armenians, many however, instead of being deported, were instead exterminated. An estimated 1.5 Million Armenians were killed during the Armenian Genocide, however, to this day the Turkish Government (and many of its peoples) denies this ever taking place. However, they were not the only group massacred, indeed many other minorities in the country such as the Greeks and the Assyrians also found the same fate.

Following the end of the war, the Ottoman Empire was partitioned through the 1920 Treaty of Sevres by the Allied Powers and occupied as well. In an attempt to revoke the Treaty, Commander Mustafa Kemal Pasha of the Ottoman Empire was able to wage the Turkish War of Independence and eventually forced out the allied forces in 1923. By this point however, the Ottoman Empire’s territory had been brought down to just Turkey and sections of Bulgaria and Greece. Later on in the same year, parliament was formed and the Sultanate was formally abolished, ending the reign of the Ottoman Empire and signalling the beginning of the Republic of Turkey. At the same time, the capital was moved to Ankara and a population exchange took place, where 1.1 million Greeks would leave Turkey for Greece and 380 thousand Muslims would leave Greece for Turkey. Mustafa Kemal Pasha was granted the surname ‘Ataturk’ which means ‘Father of the Turks’ and became the country’s first President.

He instantly set about reforms in the entire country, abolishing the office of the Caliphate in 1924 and reforming religion to be privatized and separate from government affairs following 1925. In 1926 he introduced a new penal law and a new civil code. In 1928 the new Turkish Alphabet was adopted and in 1934 both surnames were enforced and titles were abolished. In the same year, women were granted full political rights of both voting and being able to be elected. Finally, in 1937, he fully separated religion from politics with the inclusion of the French principal of Laicite in the constitution. At the same time in 1932, Turkey became a member of the League of Nations and small political parties were formed to attempt to establish a multi-party system, despite not being successful at first. In 1938, Ataturk passed away and he was succeeded by Ismet Inonu.

In World War II, Turkey remained mainly neutral but did join in at the end on the side of the Allies in 1945. In the same year, Turkey became a member of the United Nations. Following this in 1947, the United States began supporting Turkey and Greece militarily and economically following the installation of the Truman Doctrine and in 1948 the two countries were included in the Marshall Plan and the OEEC for rebuilding European Economies.

In 1950, the Democratic Party was elected into Turkish Parliament and for the first five years they were very popular for their relaxation of restrictions on Islam and their ability to preside over an already-strong economy. However, as the 50s turned to 60s, the economy began to drop, the country underwent high inflation & debt and the government was forced to introduce censorship laws to limit dissent. Turkey joined NATO in 1952.

In 1960, General Cemal Gursel led a coup d’état, removing President Celal Bayar and executing Prime Minister Menderes, returning the system to civilian control a year later. Turkey also became a founding member of the OECD in 1961. However, despite the return of government politics to public control, the political scene became majorly disarrayed and ended up with a rotational government consisting of the Justice Party under Suleyman Demirel and the Republican People’s Party under Ismet Inonu.

In 1971, the military initiated another coup d’état and felled the ruling Justice Party of the time, leading to the establishment of interim governments. Prime Minister Ecevit in coalition with the highly religious National Salvation Party pushed Turkey to invade Cyprus in 1974 and following this, a series of coalitions between Right-Wing parties lead to the invention of the National Front, pushing Ecevit out of power. This political instability formed a distinctive set of two peoples in the country, Ultranationalists and Communists, of which violence often took place in Turkey’s streets, resulting in over five thousand deaths.

In 1980, General Kenan Evren lead another military coup d’état and overthrew the government once more. Martial law was installed throughout Turkey but eventually the military returned the government to the public within a couple of years and completely phased out its government control by 1983. It eventually came under control of the Motherland Party under Turgut Ozal and through his policies of a globally oriented economic program and conservative social values the economy boomed once more, seeing small towns suddenly and rapidly expand. To cease Kurdish Separatist operations in the region, the government established village guards throughout the country and in 1987 due to the rising presence of the separatists and other underground groups, a State of Emergency was declared.

In 1995, a coalition between the Motherland Party under Mesut Yilmaz and the True Path Party under Tansu Ciller failed and two years later due to the support for religious policies, the military requested that Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan of the Welfare Party resign, to which, due to their known ability to successfully stage coups, he did. Following this, the Welfare Party was banned, but it was simply reformed as the Virtue Party instead. Following a coalition government by the Motherland Party, the Democratic Left Party and the Republican People’s Party, the Democratic Left Party became the largest parliamentary party in the 1999 elections with the Nationalist Movement Party taking second place. The two parties formed a new government with the Motherland Party and despite not being completely harmonious, it was fairly effective in instating new human rights legislation and bringing about economic reform.

21st Century History

In 2002 the State of Emergency was finally dropped after the last of the Kurdish Separatist groups desisted, by this point their attacks and operations had claimed over forty thousand lives in just 15 years. A new election took place and the Justice and Development Party took power under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the former Mayor of Istanbul. At the same time it began negotiations with the European Union

In 2007 the Justice and Development Party won the elections again for the third time and Abdullah Gul of the same party was elected President at the same time.

In 2008, members of Ergenekon, a supposed terrorist group, were detained and tried for terrorist attempts on government and civilians.

In 2010, over forty officers, including a general, two colonels, four admirals and numerous commanders of the Turkish navy and air force, many being retired, were arrested, tried and charged with attempted government overthrow in the Sledgehammer plot, although the navy and air force commanders were released only a few days later.

The economy since this time has been known to have been growing, with figures of 9% GDP growth in 2011.

In 2013, due to the removal of Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul, protests began which quickly turned into government dissidence and saw widespread rioting across the country, especially in the cities of the formerly mentioned Istanbul as well as Ankara and Izmir.

Wording

Phonetic

English

Selam

Seh-lahm

Hello/Hi

Elveda

Elle-veh-dah

Good Bye!

Konusmak Mi Ingilizce / Turkce

Cohn-oo-smack Mee Eng-eel-eez-sey / Ter-sey

Do you speak English / Spanish?

Benim Adim…

Beh-nihm Ah-dihm

My name is…

Bana Yardim Edebilir Misin?

Bah-nah Yar-deem Eh-deh-bih-leer Miss-een

Can you help me?

Ariyorum…

Ah-ree-your-uhm

I’m looking for…

Evet / Yok

Ee-veht / Yock

Yes / No

Tesekkur Ederim

Teh-she-cur Eh-deh-eem

Mr / Mrs / Miss

Bugun / Simdi

Buh-guhn / Seem-dee

Today / Now

Yarin / Dun

Yar-een / Doon

Tomorrow / Yesterday

Bu / O / Iste / Orada

Boo / Oh / Ees-tey / Or-ah-dah

This / That / Here / There

Phrases

Above are a few common Turkish phrases to help you get around.

Languages

Around 85% of the country’s population speak Turkish as this is considered the country’s mother tongue and has always had longstanding origins in the country, being first spoken over 1300 years ago and brought in from Mongolia and originating in the Turkish Khaganate.

A further 12% speaks Kurdish and 1% more speak Arabic and Zaza. The country is home to some of the most endangered languages in the world including Abaza, Adyge, Gagauz, Homshetsma, Kabard-Cherkes, Mlahso, Romani, Turoyo, Western Armenian, Abkhaz, Cappadocian Green, Hertevin, Judezmo, Laz, Pontic Greek, Suret, Ubykh and Zazaki.

Religion

Turkey, despite having no official state religion and being considered a secular state, is predominantly Islamic, and over 96% of the country are Muslim, a further 3% are secular Muslims. The most popular sect of Islam in the country is the Hanafite school of Sunni Islam and the religion has over 80 thousand mosques across the Anatolian region.

Christianity is also fairly prominent in the country as well and around 0.2% of the country’s population follow this faith. It should also be noted that a fair amount of individuals of Jewish descent live and work in the country as well.

Museums, Galleries & Architecture

Turkey’s architecture frequently depicts old-world references and pays tribute to the now-fallen Ottoman Empire but is also influenced directly by other nearby European nations as well as Islamic Arabic cultural building styles as well. Mosques are widespread and come in variations such as the tiered, single-domed and subline-angled variants. Today, the biggest and most famous of these mosques include the Sultanahmet, Fatih, Mahmut Pasa and Bayezid II Mosques in Istanbul as well as Topkapi Palace.

Many buildings in the 15th to the 18th Centuries developed courtyards to existing structures and between the 18th and 19th Centuries, widespread westernization caused a more modern appearance to surface in many structures across the country; these developments are particularly visible in Dolmabahce Palace. Today, the region (and especially the major cities such as Istanbul), use new-style buildings like those across western cities like New York and Los Angeles in the US, and London in the UK.

Clothing, Dress Style & Etiquette

Although today most of the country conforms to either western-style clothing or Arabic robes, historically the dresswear was very unique to the Anatolian region and not seen elsewhere across the world, this has given rise to new styles and culture inherited from Turkish origins.

Men would often wear the Salvar (a type of trousers with a baggy middle), the Entari (a loose coat), the Fez (a type of hat) and the Yemeni (a type of sandal or shoe). Women’s clothing was often very similar but typically used a long dress worn either over the top of, or instead of, Salvar. In Aristocracy, it was common for the Caftan (a long type of coat or overdress) to be worn, often lined with expensive fur. In contrast, the middle class typically wore the Hirka (another type of long coat) and the lower class wore the Cepken (a type of collarless shirt) or the Yelek (a vest). The richest of the Aristocrats and the monarchy were often seen wearing rare stones and jewels adorned on their garments.

Literature, Poetry, Music & Dance

Turkish literature is comprised of a mixture of oral traditions and stories as well as written texts and prose, usually of Ottoman Imperial origin. The history of Turkey’s literature goes back well over 1,300 years but has only become united recently following the forming of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

Much of the Anatolian region uses oral traditions to remember and recall stories and folk tales, often inspired by Islamic origins but sometimes varying with European influences. Some of the best examples of folktales are those surrounding Keloglan, a young man who attempts to repeatedly find a wife whilst keeping his mother’s house intact and dealing with the problems of neighbours, as well as Nasreddin, tales of a trickster who plays practical jokes on his neighbours.

Calendar & Events

On January 1st, New Years’ Day is celebrated. Following this in mid-March, the changing of the seasons during the Equinox is celebrated and then during the middle of April, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day is celebrated with a public holiday. In early May, Labour and Solidarity Day is celebrated and then in mid-May the Commemoration of Atatuk, Youth and Sports Days take effect and all grant the public several more public holidays.

Mid-June sees the June Solstice to celebrate the changing of the seasons, then around a week later Ramadan begins and lasting for four days the public is given several holidays. Victory Day is celebrated as the founding of the Republic in late August as another public holiday.

The September Equinox is celebrated in mid-September and then in early October for nearly a week, the Sacrifice Feast is celebrated. Then at the end of October, Republic Day Eve and Republic Day the day after are celebrated with two public holidays.

Finally, in the middle of December, the last Solstice is celebrated and at the end of December, New Years’ Eve is also celebrated.

Located in central Istanbul, Club360 bursts into vibrant colours on the weekend with the club opening shortly before midnight and blasting out the hottest international tunes throughout the night. The club features some of the biggest DJ names across Europe and the rest of the world with Live performances and unique entertainment every event.

Opening over ten years ago in 2002, Reina is considered a venue of prestige and high-class across the globe, from the open-air club you get a perfect view of the Istanbul skyline as well as the nearby bridge, adding to a truly sublime atmosphere that’ll carry you into and through the night.

If you like your minimalistic yet technological setups then you’ll love Living Indigo; the club is located in Istanbul and features some of the wildest light shows across the country. Truly spectacular! Plus, the club utilizes a state-of-the-art sound system to ensure maximum vibes across the dance floor.

Located only minutes away from the Kurucesme shoreline, SuAda is located right on the waterfront and features a three-story mansion converted into a seafront open-air club. The club is known for its relaxed atmosphere and features some of the coolest and most refreshing drinks from across the continent.

Anjelique is widely renowned for its relaxed vibes and cool atmosphere and features some of the tastiest cocktails in the country. Combining this with a huge variety of food, the club allows one to truly experience Turkey’s finest while they drink and dance the night away.

Perhaps you prefer a wider variety of world music? How about Babylon? It offers some of the top musical artists in all genres from across the globe such as Reggae, Jazz, Electronic, World Music, Turkish, Latin, Rock, Indie Pop and Dance music and the club often features live concerts as well as premium-quality bar.

Money

Turkey uses the Turkish Lira which can be divided down into 100 Turkish Kurus, the Turkish Lira uses the currency code TL or TRY and TRY 1 is equal to $0.48 or £0.28.

Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 Kuru variants as well as in a 1 Lira variant.

Bank notes come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Lira variants.

Economy

Turkey has an incredibly diverse economy and sees large industry in technology, clothing, automobiles, construction and oil. The CIA has classed Turkey as one of the world’s newly industrialized countries and it’s known as an emerging market economy to the IMF. With an economy worth $1.4 Trillion GDP, Turkey sees a 4% annual growth each year and mainly exports to Germany, Iraq, Iran, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Its main import partners are Russia, Germany, China, the United States and Italy.

Automobile exports are most frequent in Snowmobiles and golf cars (5.1%), Dump trucks (3%) and Bumpers and parts (2.6%) whilst construction sees more exportation in Bars or rods of iron or non-alloy steel (2.7%), Rectangular alloy-steel bars (1.7%) and in oil the most frequent exportation is in Petroleum, bituminous, distillates and non-crude oil (2.8%).

Banking

Banks in Turkey are the mark of the 21st Century and are in-line with other western economies and countries with major banks from all around the world such as Citibank, HSBC and ING Bank all setting up shop in the country. ATMs are plentiful and you should have no issues outside of the city drawing out money, accounts come in two main varieties; Current Accounts and Savings Accounts.

Current Accounts give you your money when you need it and where you need it with no repercussions, but you won’t gain much interest from this account type. Savings Accounts, however, may place restrictions on when and how much you may withdraw, but in return offer higher interest rates to bolster your funds.

Taxes

Turkey utilizes four types of tax; Income Tax, Property Tax, Car Tax and VAT. All non-residents in Turkey are only expected to pay tax on their income earned in Turkey; residents whom stay for more than six continuous months are also regarded as limited taxpayers in the same way.

Income Tax is paid by all individuals whom stay in Turkey for more than six months in a calendar year and it is applied on their worldwide income. Non-residents only pay tax on income generated in the country. Couples are taxed separately. Income Tax is taxable on all incomes from Salaries, Business profits, Agricultural profits, Rental income, Income from any self-employment, Income from capital investment and any other income or earnings. Self-employed individuals pay a flat tax rate of 15% of their net profit.

Property Tax is paid annually on all buildings and land owed with rates ranging between 0.1% and 0.3%, tax is calculated based on the land and the building’s facilities and the size of the plot in square metres. However, those whom earn less than TL 3,600 ($1730 or £1020) annually through a rental property are exempt from Property Tax. Additional Tax is calculated and added based on the amount of water used by a property. Tax is also applied at a rate of 1.5% during any transfer of property and must be paid by both parties involved.

Car Tax is liable on all individuals with a vehicle registered to their name. It is payable annually and is calculated based on the vehicle’s production date, size of engine and the type of fuel used. Typically, the older the vehicle, the less tax is paid yearly.

Stamp Duty is added to most documents at a rate ranging between 0.15% and 0.75% based on the value of the document.

VAT is added at 18% typically but in some occasions can vary down to as low as 1%. 8% is typically applied to all basic foods, medical products and books, whilst 1% is applied to all agricultural products, some residential properties, newspapers and magazines.

Due to its incredibly intimate geographical location, Turkey has one of the widest varieties of food from across the continent, combined with varying cultures and traditions that have been passed through the generations, distorted, altered, changed and remained untouched, the country sees a unique blend of Asian and European dishes of all sorts, shapes and sizes.

Meat is mainly eaten during special ceremonies or religious events but as of recent, a combination of ground meat and vegetables has become common. Among types of meat consumed are Veal, Chicken and Lamb. Eggs and Fish are also very common, with the latter being frequently consumed in coastal towns.

Fruit is incredibly cheap and varied in Turkey due to its high abundance and Turkish dishes often see the use of plums, pomegranates, apricots, raisins, currants, pears, vine leaves, grapes, apples, figs and many types of citrus fruits alongside meat and bread. Eggplants especially have a special place in Turkish cuisine.

Common dishes across the country include Menemen (egg, onion, tomato and green pepper soup with spices), Cilbir (poached eggs with yoghurt, often served with melted butter and aleppo pepper or paprika), Compote (fruit pieces in sugar syrup seasoned with vanilla, citrus fruit peels, cinnamon, cloves, almonds, coconut, raisins and/or candied fruit), Pilaf (rice cooked in seasoned broth, often mixed with onions and other vegetables), Cacik (seasoned and stained yoghurt) and Kebab (roasted and/or grilled meat, often skewered, served alongside other dishes).

VISA Requirements

Citizens of Cyprus may enter and stay in Turkey for an unlimited amount of time without a VISA.

Citizens of the following countries may stay in Turkey for up to 90 days:

Albania

Andorra

Argentina

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

Brunei

Bulgaria

Chile

Colombia

Czech Republic

Denmark

Ecuador

El Salvador

Estonia

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Guatemala

Vatican City

Honduras

Hong Kong

Hungary

Iceland

Iran

Israel

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Kosovo

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Libya

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Monaco

Montenegro

Morocco

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Romania

Saint Kitts and Nevis

San Marino

Serbia

Seychelles

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Korea

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Uruguay

Venezuela

Citizens of the following nations may stay in Turkey for up to 60 days:

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Macedonia

Russia

Ukraine

Citizens of the following nations may stay in Turkey for up to 30 days:

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Costa Rica

Kazakhstan

Latvia

Macau

Mongolia

Tajikistan

Thailand

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Additionally, citizens of the following nations may stay in Turkey for up to 90 days through the application of a multiple entry e-Visa:
Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Austria

Bahamas

Barbados

Belgium

Canada

Croatia

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Grenada

Haiti

Hong Kong

Ireland

Jamaica

Kuwait

Maldives

Malta

Netherlands

Norway

Oman

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

Spain

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

Citizens of Belarus may enter Turkey for up to 60 days through the application of a multiple entry e-Visa.

Citizens of the following countries may enter Turkey for up to 30 days through the application of a multiple entry e-Visa:

Armenia

Bahrain

Greek Cypriot Administration

Indonesia

Mauritius

Conditionally, provided that all entrants hold accommodation, at least US $50 per day to support them, hold a visa or residence in an OECD or Schengen country and hold a round-trip ticket to Istanbul Ataturk Airport with Turkish Airlines, citizens of the following countries may enter Turkey for up to 30 days with a single-entry e-Visa.

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Cote d’Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Djibouti

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mozambique

Niger

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Somalia

Sudan

Swaziland

Tanzania

The Gambia

Togo

Uganda

Vietnam

Yemen

Zimbabwe

Conditionally, provided that all entrants hold accommodation, at least US $50 per day to support them and hold a visa or residence in an OECD or Schengen citizens of the following countries may enter Turkey for up to 30 days with a single-entry e-Visa.

Afghanistan

Algeria

Angola

Bangladesh

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

China

Comoros

Cote d’Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Djibouti

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

India

Iraq

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mexico

Mozambique

Niger

Nigeria

Pakistan

Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Somalia

Sudan

Swaziland

Tanzania

The Gambia

Togo

Uganda

Vietnam

Yemen

Zimbabwe

Conditionally, provided that all entrants hold accommodation, at least US $50 per day to support them and hold a round-trip ticket to Istanbul Ataturk Airport with Turkish Airlines, citizens of the following countries may enter Turkey for up to 30 days with a single-entry e-Visa.

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Cote d’Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Djibouti

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Somalia

Sudan

Swaziland

Tanzania

The Gambia

Togo

Uganda

Vietnam

Yemen

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Conditionally, provided that all entrants hold accommodation and at least US $50 per day to support them, citizens Moldova and Taiwan may enter Turkey for up to 30 days with a single-entry e-Visa.
Citizens of the following countries must obtain a visa in advance at one of the Turkish Diplomatic Missions:

Bhutan

Cambodia

Cuba

East Timor

Fiji

Guyana

Kiribati

Laos

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

Myanmar

Nauru

Nepal

North Korea

Palau

Palestine

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Samoa

Solomon Islands

South Sudan

Sri Lanka

Suriname

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Health Care

Over 76.3 Billion Turkish Lira ($36.5 Billion or £21.5 Billion) is spent each year on Health Care in Turkey according to the Turkish Statistical Institute, and around 80% of all funding comes from the Social Security Institute with the remainder coming directly from the public. In the country there are around 28 thousand medical institutions, roughly 1 doctor per 587 people and 2.54 beds per thousand people.

Recently Private Health Care has been given a large boost due to the large queues in Public Hospitals and due to this new competition the quality of Public Hospitals has dramatically risen. Health care is provided widely by the national pension system but around 2% of the country uses private health insurance.

The biggest health problems the country faces are infectious and parasitic diseases, cancer, heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases. HIV is practically non-existent in the country and only around 3,700 people are thought to be carriers of the disease (around 0.005%), with around 90% of cases of transmission through sexual activity and around 7% of cases through drug abuse.

Transportation

There are over 15 million road vehicles in Turkey, 7.5 million being cars, 2.4 million being small trucks, 2.4 million being motorcycles, 1.4 million being tractors, 700 thousand being trucks, 400 thousand being minibuses, 200 thousand being buses and 35 thousand being special purpose vehicles. The country makes use of over 427 thousand kilometres of road, around 178 thousand kilometres worth of these being paved, 300 kilometres of these being on bridges and 100 kilometres of these being through tunnels.

The country makes use of around 1.2 thousand kilometres worth of waterways and has ports all across the continent, including Hopa, Inebolu, Samsun, Tabzon and Zonguldak in the Black Sea, Gemlik, Bandirma, Istanbul, Izmit and Derince in the Sea of Mamara, Iskenderun, Mersin and Antalya in the Mediterranean Sea and Izmir in the Aegean Sea. These ports hold around 565 ships weighing over 1,000 tons including 262 cargo ships, 96 bulk carriers, 58 chemical tankers, 48 passenger and cargo ships, 32 petroleum tankers, 25 roll-on and roll-off ships, 7 liquefied gas ships, 4 passenger ships, 1 specialized tanker and 1 combination ore & oil ship as well as over 470 ships in foreign ports around the world.

Turkish State Railways makes up around 11 thousand kilometres of rail networks and runs daily regular trains between Ankara, Eskisehir and Konya. Plans for a rail tunnel under the Bosphorus straits and several high speed railroads are being constructed between Ankara, Istanbul and Konya. Additionally, several cities have underground railway systems including Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa and Adana, and several foreign countries have rail links into Turkey including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Iran, Iran and Syria. Instanbul, Eskisehir, Ankara, Bursa, Adana, Izmir, Konya, Antalya, Kayseri, Gaziantep and Samsun also utilize light rail transit systems.

The country also has many thriving airways which use over a hundred airports, around 90 of which are paved, and 20 heliports.

City: Ankara
Phone: +90 (312) 446 6141
Fax: +90 (312) 447 2498
Website: http://www.ambankara.um.dk
Email: ankamb@um.dk
Office Hours: Monday to Thursday : 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Friday: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Details: The Faroe Islands and Greenland are part of the Kingdom of Denmark. As a main principle, the Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark are the responsibility of the Danish government.

City: Istanbul
Phone: +90 (212) 359 1900
Fax: +90 (212) 359 1901
Email: dtcistanbul@dtcistanbul.org.tr
Details: The Faroe Islands and Greenland are part of the Kingdom of Denmark. As a main principle, the Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark are the responsibility of the Danish government.

The telephone services in Turkey are run primarily by Turk Telekom, which also provides mobile services alongside 3G Access. Other prominent telephone companies include Turkcell, Vodaphone Turkey and Avea and together all companies see over 70 million subscribers with over 91% of the nation on the wire. Satellites for mobile communications are run through Turksat but also use connections from Eutelsat, Inmarsat and Intelsat alongside cable and submarine cable systems to establish international connections.

Internet

The most widely used internet service in Turkey is Turk Telekom’s TTNET ADSL2+ service with speeds between 1Mbit/s and 100Mbit/s being available for purchase. However, many other ISPs include SmileADSL, Biri, Superonline, Uydunet, Turk.net, Millenicom, Pttcell, Pocell and Bimcell, which offer similar services. It’s believed that there are over 27.3 million users. The top code for the country is .tr.

Recently though, many of these ISPs have come under scrutiny due to ‘fair use’ policies which are known to limit users’ broadband speeds for various reasons, as early as a week into a month. It’s also important to mention that numerous websites and services have been censored by the courts over the years and includes a flat widespread block of all pornography nationwide.

Communications

Over 50% of homes in Turkey use Satellite TV with most Satellite TV services provided through Digiturk, D-Smart and Turksat. Public channels number around fifteen with private channels adding over 55 additional channels. Of these the most popular channels are ATV, Kanai D, Show TV, Fox TV, Star TV, Samanyolu TV, Kanal 7, TRT 1 and Kanalturk, which make up over 55% of all viewing time.

There are over 1100 radio stations in Turkey, most of these which use long wave, medium wave and FM band for domestic broadcasting whilst short wave is reserved for international broadcasts, however, some private companies prefer the FM band for international broadcasts as well.

Weather & Climate

Due to Turkey’s geographical location on several seafronts with a vast central region, the climate varies dramatically from area to area. The coastal areas bordering the Black Sea have a temperate Oceanic climate, the areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea have a temperate Mediterranean climate and the areas bordering the Sea of Marmara have a mix of the two. Meanwhile the central region tends to have harsher Arid conditions.

For example, in Istanbul on the Marmara coastline tends to have moderate summers with warm winters and can see temperatures rising up to 29 degrees Centigrade (84.2 Fahrenheit) between the summer months of June and September, but they can drop as low as 3 degrees Centigrade (37.4 Fahrenheit) in the winter months of December to February. Precipitation sees a gradual increase and decrease throughout the year, with as little as 30mm in the summer months and as much as 120mm in the winter months.

Antalya sees much hotter temperatures on the Mediterranean coastline, rising as high as 35 degrees Centigrade (95 Fahrenheit) in the summer months of July to August, and hitting a very warm 6 degrees Centigrade (42.8 Fahrenheit) or higher in the winter months of December to February. Rainfall is dramatic and dynamic in the region, with the lightest rain (less than 5mm) being in the summer months and the heaviest rain (up to 270mm) in the winter months.

Zonguldak on the Black Sea coastline is colder, with temperatures only getting up to 25 degrees Centigrade (77 Fahrenheit) in the summer months of July to August, and dropping as low as 3 degrees Centigrade (37.4 Fahrenheit) in the winter months between January and March. Rainfall sees little variation, with the heaviest precipitation at around 150mm during the autumn months and the lightest rain being at 50mm in the spring months.

The extremes are found in the mainland, with Sanliurfa in Southeastern Anatolia soaring as high as 39 degrees Centigrade (102.2 Fahrenheit) in its summer months of July to August, and Erzurum in Eastern Anatolia having temperatures as low as -15 degrees Centigrade (5 Fahrenheit) in its winter months of December to February. Rainfall in both of these regions can be extremely light all year around, never rising above 80mm in the winter months (which is the heaviest season) and falling below 5mm in the summer months (which is the lightest season).

Holidays

The Gloria Golf resort in Antalya features quick-access to the beach via the bridge over the Acisu river and is located within the pine forests at the feet of the Taurus Mountains. The resort entails a professionally-run baby club for 1 to 3 year olds, a mini club for 4 to 7 year holds and a kids club for 8 to 12 year olds to ensure that all the family is catered for.

With the Antalya airport located only nine kilometres away and the city itself only slightly further, the Club Hotel Sera in Lara features over 540 guest rooms and allows its guests full access to all four swimming pools, a sauna, a steam room, a Jacuzzi, a massage room and the hotel’s very own private beach.

The Goldcity Tourism Complex is situated perfectly just five minutes from the beach and 30 minutes from Alanya’s city centre but still offers its guests a range of entertainment including 14 massage rooms, a 100% authentic Turkish bath, a range of saunas and steam rooms, a fitness centre, numerous relaxation areas and several Jacuzzis as well as a range of sporting facilities such as bowling, volleyball, mini golf, billiards, water sports and more.

Perhaps you’d prefer a more relaxed getaway? The Fantastia Hotel Deluxe is just the destination for you! Located right in the small town of Camyuva in Kemer, the hotel features exclusive access to a luxurious beach, spa and pool facilities and a range of stunningly beautiful gardens. But fear not! The hotel also features several bars and restaurants and is only ten kilometres away from Antalya.

Less than 600 metres away from the nearest sandy beach, the Garden of Sun Hotel features close proximity to the resort centre of Altinkum and boasts a wonderfully tranquil atmosphere combined with a strikingly dynamic yet gorgeous landscape. The hotel features a multitude of restaurants, cafes, bars and entertainment for its guests.

The Surmeli Efes Hotel is located in one of Turkey’s most popular holiday destinations, Kusadasi, and entails a range of beautiful beaches and over 400 lightly furnished, incredibly welcoming rooms. The hotel itself even features a private beach and offers a range of distinctive cuisine combined with a range of facilities open for its guests including a gymnastics room, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts and swimming pools with Jacuzzis.

A child requires no additional measures to be taken to enter the country that a regular adult would not need to undertake.

A maximum of two animals may be imported into the country completely free of charge, beyond that, all animals are treated as commercial and so various import procedures apply and a Control Document (SPS) issued by the General Directorate of Protection of Control (GDPC) will be required.

All animals must have their own individual health certifications issued by an accredited veterinarian that must have examined the animal no more than 96 hours before travel. All certifications must declare the animal to be healthy without sign of contagious/infection disease. It’s recommended, but not enforced, that all animals have a standard ISO-compatible microchip for identification. The following documents are also required and must be stamped by the Agriculture Department of the country of origin:

International Veterinary Health Certificate

Vaccination Certificates

Identification Card

Dogs must be vaccinated against DHLPP, Canine Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, Hepatitis, Canine Distemper and Rabies, with the latter administered at least a month before traveling. The Pitbull Terrier and Japanese Tosa breeds may not be imported into the country.
Cats must be vaccinated against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia and Rabies, with the latter being administered at least a month prior to travel. The cat must also be at least four months old.

All animals must be vaccinated no more than six months and no less than 15 days before traveling.

Education in Turkey has been shown to be incredibly effective and since being established during the Ataturk Reforms following 1924, there has been almost a 100% enrolment rate of all children in the country in public or private education. Over $14 Billion is spent each year on Education in the country and compulsory education lasts 12 years for students between the ages of 6 and 18 and recently the Turkish government has been seeking to enhance this with the aid of computer technology in all public schools across the country.

Pre-primary education can begin for children as young as 3 and lasts until they turn 6. Institutions for children of this age include a range of independent nurseries, kindergartens, practical classes, day cares and child care houses. It’s known that over 260 thousand children are educated each year in this way and over 15,000 teachers are employed in over 11,000 institutions. It should be noted that Pre-primary education is not compulsory.

Primary Education lasts between the ages of 6 and 14 and is compulsory for all children between these ages but is completely free of charge as well. The first three grades teach four core subjects which include Turkish, Maths, Life Knowledge and a Foreign language (Usually English but also commonly German, French, Spanish or a combination of two or more). At the fourth grade, Life Knowledge is replaced by Science and Social Studies. The first four grades are usually called ‘First School, 1st Level’ while the next four grades are referred to as ‘First School, 2nd Level’. At Grade 8, Social Studies is replaced by History and Citizenship. It’s important to note that Private Schools usually teach a higher level of foreign language skills than Public Schools. Across Primary Education, over 11 million students are educated and over 400 thousand teachers are employed in over 35 thousand schools annually.

Secondary Education lasts for another three years after Primary School and to enter, the system varies each year as well as from school to school and region to region. Exams are most frequently required to enter but there can be as many as 3 exams per year or just a singular exam for all three years, and sometimes it’s just about previous grades. The main subjects focused on in Secondary Education are the Turkish Language, Mathematics, Science and Foreign Languages, but these are often broken down further into more specialist areas and examined individually. Each year in Secondary Education, over 2.5 million students are educated and over 140 thousand teachers are employed in over six thousand institutions across the country.

To work in Turkey as a teacher, you will require at least a Bachelor’s Degree in education or in a subject relevant to your position. Additionally you will require a teaching qualification and will need at least two years of experience (it should be noted that candidates with international experience will be preferred).

Our clients only request Native English Speakers with Western Training (US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa). Although a TEFL Qualification is not considered a teaching qualification, it still improves your chances of securing a position.

Costs in Turkey are cheaper when compared to other European nations, with a litre of milk costing around TRY 2.10 ($1 or £0.60), 500g of bread costing TRY 1.10 ($0.50 or £0.30), 12 eggs costing TRY 4.40 ($2.10 or £1.30) and 1 litre of water costing around TRY 0.70 ($0.30 or £0.20). Furthermore, a meal in a restaurant will set you back anywhere between TRY 11 and 50 ($5.30-$24 or £3.10-£14.20).

More luxurious items will set you back a little more, however, as cigarettes are worth TRY 9 ($4.30 or £2.60), a litre of beer will set you back TRY 8.70 ($4.20 or £2.50) and a bottle of mid-range wine will cost you up to TRY 24 ($11.50 or £6.80).

Rent is comparable, with a 1 bedroom apartment in the city centre costing around TRY 850 ($410 or £240), a 1 bedroom apartment outside of the city centre costing around TRY 500 ($240 or £140), a 3 bedroom apartment in the city centre costing around TRY 1,400 ($670 or £400) and a 3 bedroom apartment outside of the city centre costing around TRY 830 ($400 or £235).

The Kalkan Dive centre features staff trained with PADI to an instructor level in the US and takes divers of all skill levels to the most avid veteran to the shiest beginner down to the depths to see the beautifully clear waters of Kalamar Bay along with many of its inhabitants including barracuda, octopi, sea turtles and more.

Perhaps you’re more a sword-in-hand person? Well en guarde! The Fencing Club of Eskisehir Demir was founded in 1936 and continues to grow and compete at a professional-level to this day, they welcome new recruits at any time, regardless of skill level.

Besiktas JK features a variety of differing sports clubs that both teach and practice these sports to the highest calibre, the sports include (but are not limited to) Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Handball.

Turkey’s biggest issues with Crime are those through honour killing (murdering due to what the murderer believes to be a just cause) and gang activity. Within the last ten years, over 24 thousand people have been arrested by Turkish Police, of these, over 8600 were due to involvement in gangs.

Turkey’s other problem is with torture instated by law enforcement officials on prisoners and arrestees. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the European Committee for the Prevention in Torture has condemned these actions but has stated that they believe that as of recent, procedures have been set in place to prevent these incidents from happening.